This invention relates to an ultra lightweight hammock and ground bivy for backpackers and camping enthusiasts. More specifically, this invention relates to an ultra lightweight hammock for safe and secure suspension between a pair of supports.
Conventional hammocks possess several desirable features for the camper. They certainly provide comfortable sleeping accommodations. They also are particularly advantageous where the terrain is uneven, rocky, or inhabited by various ground dwellers such as insects and reptiles.
On the other hand, conventional hammocks include a variety of undesirable features which have limited their widespread use by camping enthusiasts. Weight and stability are key drawbacks. It has been long known to provide a horizontal, rigid cross member at either or both ends of the hammock in order to improve stability. A typical example of such feature is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,720 of Newell. The added bulk and weight of these stiffening members, however, renders the hammock unsuitable for camping equipment generally. Serious backpackers, being extremely conscious of bulk and weight, would not even consider construction of the type illustrated in Newell.
Reduced weight for a hammock has been achieved, but at the sacrifice of stability. Examples are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,772 of Clark and U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,763 of Hennessy. Both eliminate the rigid support members of the type as required by Newell and similar constructions, but both are suspended at each end by a rope. One end of the rope is connected to the hammock itself (typically, to a metal ring) and the opposite end is tied to a tree or similar upright support. This results in a somewhat precarious construction where the hammock tends to roll, tip or twist along the axes of the rope lines at each end. The user must be extremely careful when using such a hammock, particularly when entering or exiting the construction, or risk being dumped to the ground. The Hennessy patent provides that the sides of the hammock can be staked to the ground intermediate the hammock ends for stability. This, of course, assumes that the terrain is suitable for secure staking.
In addition to the potential danger associated with the instability of rope ties on each end of a hammock, the user must possess some skill in knot tying in order to effectively secure the hammock to an adjacent tree. And lastly, this method of attachment typically scars or otherwise marks the bark of the tree from which a hammock is suspended. This is unacceptable to environmentally conscientious campers and backpackers who follow the socially responsible wilderness directive to xe2x80x9cleave only your footprints.xe2x80x9d
The need remains in the camping and backpacking industry for an extremely lightweight hammock and ground bivy which provides both a safe and stable construction suspendible from trees in an environmentally responsible manner. The primary objective of this invention is to meet this need.
More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an ultra lightweight hammock of durable construction which may be folded and packed in a minimal space.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ultra lightweight hammock which may be suspended in a stable condition between two adjacent trees in order to resist the tipping and rolling motion heretofore associated with conventional hammocks.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an ultra lightweight hammock which may be safely and stably suspended between two adjacent trees without special knowledge or skill in knot tying techniques.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an ultra lightweight hammock which may be suspended between two adjacent trees without marring or otherwise damaging the tree bark.
A further object of the invention is to provide an ultra lightweight hammock of the character described which can also double as a ground bivy.
In summary, an ultra lightweight hammock for suspension between two trees includes a rectangular top panel joined along at least three side and end edges to a bottom panel. An elongate opening permits access between the top and bottom panels. Tubular sleeves form each end of the hammock and receive elongate webs which extend from the ends of the tubular sleeves around an adjacent tree to be secured by an adjustable buckle attachment. An option pocket may be formed in the bottom panel to receive a sleeping pad.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the description of the drawings.